Holy shitballs! For as amazingly innovative LBP was, it fell a bit short of the original scope of the project and game and became a platformer factory... this is far from a bad thing but not the original intent of the game.

Mm and Sony have also been impressed with the level of complexity people have squeezed out of the simple tools provided, many times going far beyond anyone's expectations of what was possible within the engine. They also love the homages to old school gaming, I played myself with some Sony reps at CES 2 years ago and they get it. They played my Donkey Kong level and understood, it's not about ripping off Nintendo, it's showing how much these early games inspired us. So they are now making this type of emulation EASIER.

Here's the bulk of the leak below, if you get game informer watch the mailbox, if not then if you sign up at Game Stop for their Edge card you'll get hoked up for free.

- LBP 2 has less of a focus on platforming altogether and it’s more of a platform to actually create games with

- There is an all-new level creator and it is not just a tool to create platform games.

- As examples, the game 100% encourages the player to create game types and wants you to make a shooter, a racer, puzzle games, Space Invaders clones, even RPGs

- A player can even customize a HUD. The example given is a health bar for a fighting game.

- A Media Molecule developer has created a fully-functioning Command & Conquer Clone

- Media Molecule loves that a lot of user-created levels in LBP1 were homages to classic games and laments that so many manipulations of the creation tools were necessary to do them. Sackboy won’t need to be “hidden behind the curtain” when you make games with LBP2.

- There is a new super-important creator tool called “direct control seats”

- (from previous point) In LBP1, lots of people made rudimentary “hold R1 to accelerate” vehicles. Mark Healy created a car out of rubber wheels and a bottle, then placed a direct control seat in it. He pulled up an interface that resembled a PS3 controller and assigned commands to buttons.

- Example given was assigning Sixaxis tilt for forward and reverse, horn on the X button.

- You are no longer limited to the game’s stock sound effects. You can record your own sounds and voices, attaching them to characters or objects.

- Direct control seat’s control scheme is instantly accessible and you can attach it only to the part of the vehicle you want it to control.

- Example was given about the 8/16-bit remakes/tributes having to use the signature gameplay mechanics of LBP. That is no longer true in LBP2. A creator can place a direct control seat on their own platforming protagonist and complete it with a customized control scheme.

- Example of the previous was Yoshi’s Island. If a player creates the perfect recreation of the SNES-era jump they can share it with anyone in the community.

- There is an in-game microchip that functions as a calculator and it is a direct response/homage to PSN user Upsilandre (seriously, he’s mentioned by name)

- Enemies in the original title could only be programmed with super-basic commands and most resembled marionettes.

- Users will be able to take a template for an enemy called a Sackbot, tweak the AI and dress it in any way they choose.

- Creators can choose the weak points on the Sackbot, determine if it is scared of heights, and even program acting routines.

- A disco scene was set up by Media Molecule and two employees recorded together on a single Sackbot. They moved its arms and bobbed its head in a dancing routine. JUST the AI was copied and pasted onto twenty different Sackbots. Each Sackbot was given its own unique look.

- There are now movie editing options as well.

- Every LBP2 player will receive their own profile on LBP.me. It will display your activity feed as well as previews of their own stages

- There will be user-created integration in QR codes as well. They can be printed on advertisements, business cards, and automatically load a level when held up to the PlayStation Eye. There is no special menu to do this. Any time the PS3 is turned on and running LBP 2, you can wave it in front of the Eye.

- If you are not near your PS3 you can take a quick photo with your smartphone to see an online preview of the level and add it directly to your level queue.

- For creators of multiple levels, you will be able to string your stages together so that they flow from one level to the next.

- Sackbots can be drastically increased or decreased in physical size.

- Sackbots can be controlled by direct control seats as well.

- There is a new gadget (like the MGS paintball gun). It is a big-ass grappling hook.

- All DLC from LBP1 transfers over to LBP2. Including downloaded content packs, costumes, etc.

- There is a major overhaul to the story level as well. There’s the same 3-plane perspective for the story mode and the levels so far have a similar run-jump-grab platform style.

- Circuit boards (like the calculator) can get extremely complicated and they have a very distinct interface

- Creators can make full-on cutscenes. Camera angles and voice-overs included. Creators can even make little five-minute short films. These levels are clearly marked on the stage select screen so you can tell whether you’re watching or playing the level.

- Circuit boards (like the calculator) can get extremely complicated and they have a very distinct interface

- Creators can make full-on cutscenes. Camera angles and voice-overs included. Creators can even make little five-minute short films. These levels are clearly marked on the stage select screen so you can tell whether you’re watching or playing the level.

- Storyline is not country-based like last time, but is based in periods of time

Here is a list of levels and summaries so far: - Techno Renaissance: Whimsical alternative take of the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci-like character to guide him through a technology-based twist level - Steam & Cake: Steampunk-style level based on a fucked-up tea and cake party - Neon Propaganda: Cold-war era posters line a factory environment where Sackboy is liberating oppressed workers. There is a grim nature to the level that is totally opposed to the neon lights and signs. - Fluffy High-Tech: Various high-end technology equipments like video walls are mixed with bunnies and fluffy sheep. It is a cold, futuristic environment populated by adorable creatures - Designer Organic: Eco-architecture comes together around a designed and controlled version of nature. Described as “art noveau”. The closest to nature Sackboy gets in this game. Elaborate designs comprised of plants. - Hand-Made Arcade: A super-tribute level to tons of arcade classics. Embraces the hand-made art from the first game. Pixels made of cardboard and wood.

These guys are pretty adept at making tools easy to use and implement, if anything they've simplified the process.

That you tube video, is from one of the first "logic gate" LBP levels. Using nothing but simple switches with proximty sensors, pistons, and levers he created a multi digit calculator.

The fact that the tools allowed for something so complex is insane, the new microchip/circit board system basicly does away with needing to understand the complexities of a logic gate set up and instead allows one to enter in desired results without all the nerd work required otherwise.

I highly recomend picking up a PS3 when you can. the $300 model will really do everything you want to do with it. No extra ad ons needed unlike some consoles

But if you're on the fence, wait til fall/winter time. PlayStation Move will be out, and likely bundled with the consoles and possibly with LBP2 inside! Should know more after E3 hits...

Sony got into trouble with the fans for deleting levels and content that were homages to other games. Many levels were removed from the PSN and from PS3's because they feared they would get sued by offended companies.